8-KRegulation FD

EMERSON ELECTRIC CO 8-K Report, Regulation FD Disclosure (Sep 22, 2015)

Filed September 22, 2015For Securities:EMR

Summary

This Emerson Electric Co. (EMR) 8-K filing from September 2015 provides updated order trends, highlighting a significant deceleration in growth across most segments. For the trailing three months ending August 2015, total Emerson orders decreased by 15%, with underlying orders down 8%. This downturn is attributed to several macroeconomic factors, including the persistent drop in oil prices, a global slowdown in capital spending, and the strong U.S. dollar, which negatively impacted results through currency translation. Investors should note that the Process Management and Industrial Automation segments were particularly affected by the decline in oil prices and industrial spending. While the Commercial & Residential Solutions segment showed some resilience with slight underlying growth, the overall order picture indicates a challenging near-term environment for Emerson. The company also reiterated its forward-looking statements, reminding investors of the inherent risks and uncertainties associated with its strategic portfolio repositioning, as well as broader economic and market conditions.

Key Highlights

  • 1Total Emerson orders declined 15% for the trailing three months ending August 2015, with underlying orders down 8%.
  • 2The decline in orders is largely driven by falling oil prices, a global slowdown in capital expenditure, and a strong U.S. dollar impacting currency translation (-7% for August).
  • 3Process Management orders faced significant headwinds due to lower oil prices and currency impacts, with underlying orders down 12%.
  • 4Industrial Automation orders also declined, reflecting weakness in industrial spending and currency translation (-8%).
  • 5Network Power orders saw a decrease, with underlying global demand for data center and telecommunications infrastructure being mixed geographically.
  • 6Climate Technologies orders were negatively impacted by tough year-over-year comparisons and softness in Europe and China.
  • 7Commercial & Residential Solutions orders showed slight underlying growth, driven by specific product lines, but this was not enough to offset broader segment weakness.

Frequently Asked Questions

The primary reasons cited for the decline in Emerson's orders are the persistent drop in oil prices, a global slowdown in capital spending, and the significant strength of the U.S. dollar, which negatively impacts reported results through currency translation. Macroeconomic factors are playing a substantial role across multiple business segments.

The Process Management and Industrial Automation segments appear to be most significantly affected. These segments are directly impacted by reduced oil and gas capital and operational spending, as well as general industrial spending weakness, compounded by unfavorable currency translation.

The order trends presented indicate a challenging near-term environment for Emerson. The broad-based decline across most segments, coupled with the macroeconomic headwinds mentioned, suggests that revenue growth may be pressured in the coming periods. However, the company's strategic portfolio repositioning may offer long-term opportunities.

For the trailing three months ending August 2015, currency translation deducted 7 percentage points from the total Emerson order decrease. Specific segments experienced varying impacts, with Process Management seeing an 8 percentage point deduction and Industrial Automation also facing an 8 percentage point deduction due to currency.